Ecuador court to hear appeals of Julian Assange on Wednesday

Quito [Ecuador]: An Ecuadorian court will consider on Wednesday the appeal submitted by the defense of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is living in the country’s embassy in London, against the demand of the country’s government to comply with a protocol containing rules specially developed for him, Assange’s lawyer in Ecuador, Carlos Poveda, told Sputnik.

The whistleblower has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012. Assange has repeatedly suggested he might be apprehended outside the embassy and extradited to the United States. Over the past months, the Ecuadorian authorities have been putting various restrictions on the conditions of Assange’s stay in the embassy, which the whistleblower’s defense called the violation of human rights.

“We hope that the court will adequately analyze our petition and accept 15 facts of evidence that were requested in order to leave the protocol and restrictions on visits in place,” Poveda said. According to the lawyer, these arguments include letters from individuals and organizations that were not allowed access to Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Earlier, the EFE agency reported citing sources familiar with the situation that Assange had refused to comply with this protocol. The regulation defines norms of behavior and communication for Assange, regulates the order of visits, communication with the outside world and provision of medical care to him. The new order came into effect on October 13. In late October, the court has already refused to satisfy Assange’s appeal.